Mechanical joint for vacuum-tubes.



D. MoF. MOORE.

MECHANICAL JOINT FOB. VACUUM TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16, 1908.

1,063,996 Patented June 10,1913.

2 BHEBT8-BHEET 1.

WITNESSES: I IIVVEIVTOI? A TTOR/VE Y .S

D. M015. MOORE. MECHANICAL JOINT FOR VACUUM TUBES.

APPLICATION TILED APR. 16, 1908.

Patented June 10, 1913.

2 BHEETB-BHEET 2.

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entrain sans arnn' OFFl'tJlll.

DANIEL MCFARLAN MOORE, OF NEWARK, JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 10, 11913.

Application filed April 16, 1908. Serial No. 427,366.

'Mechanical Joints for Vacuum-Tubes, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for forming an air-tight joint between sections oi tubing, and is especially designed for use in forming a joint between coupled sections of glass tubing joined up to form the tube of a vacuum tube lighting system.

The objects of my invention are to provide a simple and effective device whereby the tubes or tube sections may be assembled and fastened together in proper alinement and especially to provide a coupling of such nature that, after the assembling oi: the tube section, a sealing paint, paste or cement may be applied to the portions of the j o1nt wlthin the coupling in order to produce an effective air-tight seal.

The invention consists in the special devices and combinations of devices hereinafter more particularly described and then specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows the end portions of two sections of tube joined in a coupling constructed in ac cordance with my invention. Fi 2 is a horizontal vertical section throng Fig. 1 and illustrates more clearly the means that may be employed for forming the seal between the abuttin or juxtaposed ends of the tube section. ig. 3 is an elevation of a modification of my invention. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the same.

Referringto Fig. 1, two sections of glass tubing are indicated at 2. Near their ends, these sections are provided with a circumferential shoulder as indicated at 2', which shoulder may consist of a circumferential enlargement of the tube made by spinning or forming the glass while plastic in any desired way known to workers in glass and other .material.

3 is the frame or body of the coupler which sustains and holds "the tubes at their juxtaposed ends and which said frame also carries proper compression devices whereby the ends of the tubes may be forced toward one anotherto form a joint which shall be as nearly air-tight as possible without the use of any sealing paste, paint or cement, or other material applied after the couplin of the tubes together and the substantizil completion of the joint.

The devices for forcing the tubes together may comprise the compression nuts =l which engage the circumference of the coupler at its opposite ends by screw threads and engage the rear side of the shoulders 2 by internal flanges, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, so that on screwing up the nuts, the tube sections are drawn together. The com pression nuts 4 may be placed on the tubes 2 in any suitable manner, as for instance by threading the ends of the tubes remote from the shoulders 2' through the opening in the nuts 4 or by applying the nut 4 to the tube 2 prior to forming the shoulder 2'.

interposed between the nuts and the glass shoulders are bushings or washers 5 designed to save the glass from injury by the im* plngement of the hard metal of the nuts upon the glass.

The coupler frame or body 3 is of skeleton construction and comprises essentially, the two ring portions engaged, respectively, by the nuts and the cross bars or rods 6, as few in number and as narrow as is consistent with due strength and rigidity so as to leave, as much free space as possible giving access to the parts of the joint within the coupling.

The joint itself between the juxtaposed ends of the tubes may be formed in any de sired way, but for simplicity, I employ a sealing ring or sleeve 7 which is engaged by and held between the shoulders, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, when the tubes are drawn together. This sleeve or ring 7 may be made of any desired material, but it is entirely feasible to employ metal for the purpose or some material which issubstantially non-compressible under the conditions of use described, although it would be within my invention to use a material more or less compressible and, therefore adapted to swell, expand or squeeze out where it is engaged by the shoulders and to thereby make a better seal at the point of engagement. The sealing ring or sleeve 7, preferably, engages, by. its edges, 11 on an incline on the shoulder at 2, so t at the sealing effect by drawing the tube sections together, is enhanced by the wedging action of the incline, which is expended m tendency to expand the metal ring. If a rather metal or other sealing ring in place between them and they have been drawn together by the compression devices, so as to get as good a seal as possible, such seal may be perfected by the application of any suitable sealing material applied to the surfaces or lines of the jointby means of a brush or other device introduced through the skeleton coupler.

In the modification of my invention illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the oint between the sections of tubing is a ground butt joint and said tubes do not have the circumferential shoulder already described. In this form of my invention, I provide within the skeleton coupler two rings or washers 8 of some elastic or compressible and expansible substance upon which the nuts 4 or other compression devices may act to expand said rings inwardly and cause them to firmly grasp the surface of the tubes, further action or movement of the compression devices then resulting in communicating a longitudinal movement or pressure to the tube sections,

thereby drawing their ground ends into close contact with one another on the line 9. After this has been done, a paint, paste, cement or other sealing material, indicated at 10, may be applied to the joint through the openings in the skeleton frame or coupler. If desired a' metal follower 11 may be interposed between each nut and the compressible ring or washer 8 upon which it act-s.

In Fig. through the openings in the skeleton frame is indicatedat 10.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a joint for glass tubing, the combination of circumferentially shouldered tube sections, a skeleton coupler adapted to receive and support the ends of the tubes in alinement and compression devices carried by said coupler and adapted to force the tube sections toward one another.

2. In a joint for glass tubing, the combi- 2 the sealing material applied nation of circumferentially. shouldered tube sect-ions, a skeleton coupler adapted to receive and support the ends of the tubes in 'alinement and compression nuts carried by said coupler and adapted to force the tube sections toward one another.

8. In a joint or coupling for glass tubing,

the combination of circumferentially shouldered tube sections, a skeleton coupler adapt-v 'cd to receive the ends of the tube sections, a

sealing ring engaged at its edges by said sections, and means for forcing said sections against the rings.

4:. In a joint or coupling for glass tubing, the combination of circumferentially shouldered tube sections, a skeleton coupler adapted to receive the ends of the tube sections, a sealing ring engaged at its edges by said sections, and compression nuts carried by the skeleton coupler and engaging the shoulders.

5. In a joint or coupling for glass tubing, the combination of circumferentially shouldered tube sections, a skeleton coupler adapted to receive the ends of the-tube sections, a

sealing ring engaged at its edges by said shoulders, and compression nuts carried by the skeleton coupler and engaging the shoulders.

6. In a joint and coupler for glass tubing, the combination of shouldered tube sections, an interposed sealing ring engaged at its edge by inclines on said shoulders, a skeleton coupling frame receiving said shoulderedends and compression devices mounted on said frame.

7. In a joint and coupler for glass tubing, the combination of shouldered tube sections, an interposed sealing ring engaged at its edge by inclines on said shoulders, a skeleton coupling frame receiving said shouldered ends and compression nuts mounted on the frame and engaging said shoulders.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 14th day of April A. D. 1908.

DANIEL norantau Moonn Witnesses:

0. I 'IISOHNER, Jr, LILLIAN B oNn. 

